As a Paid ticket holder I don't think there is a way to confirm that Insurance is in place, competitors should be able to(if they take the time to read the release before signing).

I do know as a fact that 10 years ago or so a track in New Hampshire operated for better than half the season with no insurance of any kind, unbeknownst to either fans or competitors.

The state of Vermont has a racing commission that checks every track every year for safety, Insurance and a host of other things, I know New Jersey is even tougher

A $2.00 fee to park comes with a price for the track operator as well.........You would need at least 2 more employees to do it, maybe 3 depending on the size and layout of the parking lot. So You park 100 cars @ $2.00 each, that's $200.00. Say you do have only 2 extra employees. Say they get $50.00 each for the night along with a little bit of food (either discounted of free, depends on the track policy) So now you have paid $110.00 out, but wait, it doesn't stop there. Don't forget all the other "hidden" expenses of the 2 employees, payroll taxes, unemployment taxes, Social Security, shirts for the employees, the list goes on.

By the time you are done it is a wash at the best and the track saved no money................

Having been on both sides of the fence, these are some of the things potential sponsors look for that racers quite often fall short on.

1. Have a marketing plan that will show tangible benefits for the sponsor.
    This should include public appearances, both with and without the race car. Nothing sells a sponsor better or keeps them when they see their name all over the place. Make sure that the sponsor is listed in the roster and announced over the PA system. Hero cards or other handouts are pretty much mandatory in this day and age.

2. Keep the sponsor involved
    Make sure that you give the sponsor PERSONAL weekly updates. This can be either by phone or e-mail, depending on the sponsors preference.

3. DO NOT make unrealistic promises that you cannot keep. PERIOD!

4. Make sure that the sponsor has some framed photos for there place of business and publically thank them in the local paper (or whatever advertising medium that the sponsor uses and reads). Those ads do not cost much but go along way in goodwill.

5. Make sure that you get them "complimentary" tickets for a night at the track, even if ti means that you pay for them and leave them at the ticket window

6. Numbers-Call the track you race at and get an approximate number for attendance, That way the prospective sponsor has an idea how many people they will reach weekly. If you make occasional trips to other tracks, include those in your proposal.

7. Social Media-IF you do it DO IT RIGHT. Way too many drivers start websites & Facebook pages and don't update them.

8> Above All be professional and make a good impression, Dress cleanly and neatly and speak well.....


Many people think once you get a sponsor, the work is done until next year, that could not be farther from the truth. The better the relationship and communication with the sponsor, the better the chance they will stay on the car for a number of years and increase their involvement

Victory Lane Radio will be broadcasting Saturday's portion of the Quarter Mile Dirt Track Championship Weekend. Go to www.victorylaneradio.com and click the listen live icon. To listen on a smartphone download the free Short Track Racing Network app. WE will go live at about Noon on Saturday and cover the entire day's activities.

who else but....................................................TC

You can hear the audio replay from the Icebreaker HERE: http://www.victorylaneradio.com/
We will be broadcasting all 7 of Thompson events at that site live and the replays are usually up to listen to within 24hrs.
On a side note this was the first live broadcast of any type that any of us had done...There were some glitches but we learned a LOT. The only other ones that the fanschoice.tv will be picking up that we know of tare the other 2 tour races.

I can tell you it is not always as easy as it looks. I do the P/R for a local track where I am also the track Photographer, there is NO cell signal within a couple miles of the rack and Internet is not reliable enough to count on.

Typically I work on Saturday until 2:00 to 2:15, get to the track at between 4:15 & 4:45, set up photo booth etc., roam the pits looking for info and then am in the infield for the rest of the racing by 6:00. Racing usually concludes somewhere between 9:45 & 11:00. Then break down booth etc. I usually have to wait for the official finishes as even though 4 of the 6 regular divisions have transponders ther are usually a few glitches so you cannot just rely on mylaps figures. Last week the winner had 3 laps just not register in the middle of the race so the transponder results showed 3 laps down, when in fact he won by a healthy margin. All this takes time and is not instantanious. Then gotta make sure all passed tech.. By now it is usually 10:45 to after midnight. It takes me a little over an hour and a half to get home, no free wi-fi spots between the track & home that are still open that are not out of the way. So the results & P/R piece is written and distributed when I get up Sunday morning, usually by 11:00AM. Face it, a press release that is well written and distributed by 11:00AM is much better than a hastily written one from someone who is all tired out and distributed at 3AM.

Oh....I am doing the press releases because I can get it out in a more timely manor than the other options that are available....

Just sent 15.00 your way.....